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Results tagged ‘ Dylan Bundy ’

It wasn’t exactly a Father’s Day to remember for the Yankees, as they lost 10-5 this afternoon to the A’s. The Bronx Broskis have to do some regrouping this week and thankfully for them, “the savior” (as I’ve dubbed him) Masahiro Tanaka starts their next game on Tuesday night at the big ballpark in the Bronx. It’ll be an important series, with Toronto sitting ahead of them by four and a half games in the AL East.

While was Father’s Day today, it was also my 27th birthday. I spent it at the ballpark – but the minor league ballpark. Specifically, Dutchess Stadium, home of the Hudson Valley Renegades. I’ve covered the Renegades the past two summers, and today I covered my first game of my third summer with them.

And I got quite a little birthday surprise.

The ‘Gades hosted the Aberdeen IronBirds, a MiLB squad affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles. Throwing for Aberdeen was Dylan Bundy – the O’s first round pick of the 2011 draft, and a future ace I’ve heard talked about on MLB Network and by Buster Olney of ESPN.

I got to interview him afterward and got a little story out of it, so I figured since this guy will most likely be facing the Yankees in the not-too-distant future, I’d throw my little story on him up here on the blog.

Note: I also interviewed TB Rays’ 2014 first round pick, first baseman Casey Gillaspie, who smacked a two-run home run for his first hit as a pro ballplayer.

Even though I was indeed thrilled and excited to cover Bundy, I was a little bummed out the P.A. didn’t play Frank Sinatra’s “Love and Marriage” as he took his warm-ups. An Al Bundy reference would’ve made my birthday complete.

So, with that being said, here’s my story on Bundy:

Orioles’ Bundy Makes Solid Rehab Start vs. Hudson Valley

By A.J. Martelli

Although a year off and reconstructive surgery may normally sound like a formula for rust, it wasn’t for starting right-hander Dylan Bundy on Sunday.

The Baltimore Orioles’ 2011 first round draft pick out of Owasso High School (Okla.) made a rehab start against the Hudson Valley Renegades at Dutchess Stadium, pitching for the O’s short season Single-A affiliate, the Aberdeen IronBirds. It marked the 21-year-old’s first time pitching in a competitive game since 2012, being that Tommy John surgery sidelined him for all of last year.

Yet the stud, who has been compared by some to Stephen Strasburg, showed no damaging signs.

He tossed five innings and only let up one earned run after scattering five hits. Bundy walked none and struck out six by taking baby steps – he only threw 65 pitches.

“First outing in almost a year and I was pretty pleased with it,” he said. “I don’t think about (the surgery) at all anymore, and that’s what I’m happy about.”

Bundy gave the Renegades credit for touching him up, though he didn’t feel he made too many mistakes dealing to the Hudson Valley hitters.

“I gave up five hits, but they just made good contact with the ball on what I think were pretty good pitches. They got the bat on the ball and they did a pretty good job. They were hitting the off-speed stuff pretty well, putting it in play.”

Making adjustments, Bundy mentioned, also helped him along.

“I focused more when guys were on base,” he said. “Now I’ve got to focus more when guys aren’t on base and do a better job locating my pitches. I’ve been trying to do a better job of that.”

Bundy also talked about how much less pressure it was pitching at “The Dutch” as opposed to a major league stadium like Camden Yards – even though he thought facing the Renegades was just as dangerous as facing a big league team.

“A feel a little bit less pressure pitching here, but there’s still a live batter up there that can hit the ball just as well as someone in the big league. My aim is to just go out there, make pitches, and compete.”

Bundy will make a few more starts before being evaluated, and a plan for his future is drawn up going forward.

“I have a couple more starts; we’ll see how my arm responds tomorrow,” he said. “It should be good. Couple more starts, and we’ll see what we’re going to do after that.”

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